WEBVTT ♪♪♪♪SOLEDAD: I'M SOLEDAD O'BRIEN.WELCOME TO "MATTER OF FACT."PRESIDENT TRUMP IS PURSUING ASTRATEGY TO DELIVER ON HISAGENDA, USING THE POWER OFEXECUTIVE ORDERS -- IN PART, HESAYS, TO FORCE CONGRESS TO DOITS JOB.DESPITE REPUBLICAN CONTROL OFTHE HOUSE AND SENATE, THEY HAVEFAILED TO PASS ANY MAJOR ELEMENTOF THE PRESIDENT'S LEGISLATIVEAGENDA.IN PLAY -- OR NOT --INFRASTUCTURE, KEEPING THEGOVERNMENT OPEN BY AGREEING ON A2018 BUDGET, CHANGES TO THEAFFORDABLE CARE ACT, A SOLUTIONFOR DREAMERS, AND IMMIGRATIONREFORM.AND THE TOP GOP PRIORITY -- ANOVERHAUL OF THE FEDERAL TAXSYSTEM.HERE TO DISCUSS THE LIKELYOUTCOMES OF CURRENT WHITE HOUSEAND CONGRESSIONAL STRATEGIES AREREPUBLICAN POLITICAL STRATEGISTFORD O'CONNELL AND DEMOCRATICSTRATEGIST JAMAL SIMMONS.NICE TO SEE YOU GUYS.JAMAL: GOOD TO BE HERE.SOLEDAD: LET'S DIVE RIGHT IN.PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SIGNEDEXECUTIVE ORDERS -- BY OCTOBER12, HE HAD.SOME SAY THE FOCBACK ANYTHING OBAMA HAS DONE.OTHER PEOPLE SAY NO HE IS REALLYTRYING TO DELIVER TO HIS BASE.WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THESTRATEGY HERE?FORD: BASICALLY, THINK TRUMPWANTS TO MAKE GOOD ON SEVERALCAMPAIGN PROMISES.THE CLOCK IS TICKING.CONGRESS IS USELESS AND PORTIONSOF HIS BASE ARE FRUSTRATED.AND HE KNOWS HE HAS GOT TOADELIVER.BUT OBVIOUSLY HE WOULD LIKE TOGET A KEY LEGISLATIVE WIN INCONGRESS ON TAX REFORM.THAT IS DEFINITELY HIS TOPPRIORITY.SOLEDAD: WE'LL TREFORM IN A MOMENT.IT FEELS VERY CHAOTIC.I MEAN, YOU DON'T FEEL LIKETHERE IS SOME NEGOTIATION TOWARDA WIN.JAMAL: IT IS ANYTHING LET'S KILL IT.THIS IS A TOTAL AND COMPLETEUTTER FAILURE.YOU HAVE A PRESIDENT OF THEUNITED STATES OF THE SAME PARTYAND THE MAJORITY OF THE HOUSE OFREPRESENTATIVES.THEY CAN'T PASS A SINGLE PIECEOF MAJOR LEGISLATION.WE ARE NOW INTO OCTOBER OF HISFIRST YEAR IN OFFICE.BY THIS POINT, PRESIDENT OBAMAHAD ALREADY PASSED AN ECONOMICPACKAGE AND THEY WERE ON THEIRWAY TO PASSING A HEALTHCAREPLAN.THIS IS --SOLEDAD: FORD IS FIDGETING INHIS CHAIR SO BADLY TO JUMP IN.[LAUGHTER]FORD: WHAT YOU HAVE JUST DONE ISMADE A WORDPLAY ON THE WORDLEGISLATIVE PROCESS.IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS OFPRESIDENT OBAMA'S TERM, HE HADSETO PASS LEGISLATION INWASHINGTON, YOU DON'T NEED AMAJORITY IN THE SENATE.YOU ACTUALLY NEED 60 VOTES.JAMAL: OR YOU HAVE TO DOBUSINESS WITH THE OTHER PARTY.FORD: OR YOU HAVE TO DO BUSINESSWITH THE OTHER PARTY, SOMETHINGIN HIS FIRST TWO YEARS.AND THE ONLY TIME YOU CAN PASSWITH A MAJORITY IN THE SENATE ISTHROUGH BUDGET RECONCILIATION.SO THAT IS WHY WE ARE WHERE WESOLEDAD: THE DEMOCRATS ARE IN ALOT OF CHAOS.THE REPUBLICANS ARE PROBABLY INRIGHT?THAT'S FAIR TO SAY.JAMAL: WE LOST OUR ELECTION.THAT IS THE THING.WE LOST ONTHEY WON THEIRS.IT IS THEIR TURN TO GOVERN, ANDTHEY ARE NOT DOING IT.FORD: THEY DEFINITELY DO HAVE TODELIVER.IT IS THE REPUBLICGOVERN.BUT AT THE SAME TIME -- BUT ATTHE SAME TIME, THE DEMOCRATSLIKE TO SAY, "GEE, LOOK AT WHATA MESS THE REPUBLICANS ARE," BUTTHE DEMOCRATS ARE IN A LOT OFTROUBLE TOO, PARTICULARLY INWHAT DIRECTION THEY GO, AND WHATEXACTLY IT IS THEY WANT TOACCOMPLISH.SOLEDAD: LISTEN,YOU IS CHEERING ME UP VERY MUCHABOUT THE STATE OF AMERICATODAY.[LAUGHTER]SOLEDAD: BUT WE MOVE ON.SOGOING TO BE ABLE TO BRING US TAXREFORM?FORD: WELL THE QUESTION ISWHETHER HE GETS 60 VOTES OR HEDOES IT WITH THE REPUBLICANSHE HAS A CHANCE TO GET 60 VOTES.BUT UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS WHATHE WANTS TO DO.HE WANTS TO PUT MONEY BACK INTOTHE POCKETS OF HARD-WORKINGAMERICANS.HE ALSO WANTS TO BOOST WAGES ANDBUT THAT CAN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT0VOTES.SO THAT MEANS HE NEEDS AT LEASTEIGHT DEMOCRATS IN THE SENATE,IF ALL REPUBLICANS AGREE.AND ESSENTIALLY HE HAS A VERYSMALL CHANCE TO GET THAT DONE,BECAUSE THERE ARE 10 DEMOCRATSUP AGAIN WHO WANT TO SAVE THEIRPOLITICAL LIVELIHOOD IN STATESTHAT HE WON IN 2016.IT COULD HAPPEN.MOST LIKELY, WE ARE ONLY GOINGTO GET TAX CUTS, THOUGH.JAMAL: YEAH, HERE IS THEPROBLEM.IF YOU ARE CUTTING TAXES FOR THEINCOME BRACKET EVEN MORE, THEPEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE AND LOWERCLASS WHO HAVE BEEN CATCHING ITFOR THE LAST 20 YEARS ARE GOINGTO BE PUT IN A TOUGHER POSITION.AND IF YOU WANT TO RUN ANELECTION WHERE YOU ARE TELLINGPEOPLE YOU TOOK TAXES DOWN FROMTHE WEALTHY FROM 35% TO 28%,LET'S HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.FORD: WELL NO, BUT THAT'S THEWHOLE POINTHIS ISN'T -- EVERYONE SAYS TTTAX REFORM IS THE DEVIL IS INTHE DETAILS.THAT'S NOT TRUE.IT IS A MESSAGING GAME.BASED ON WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE ISFRAMING IT RIGHT NOW, THEY ARESAYING MIDDLE CLASS HOUSEHOLDSARE GOING TO GET ABOUT $4000BACK ANNUALLY ON THEIR SALARY.THAT IS A LOT FOR A LOT OFPEOPLE.$4000 A YEAR IS A TON.HERE'S THE THING.WE HAVE SOME REAL PROBLEMS TOADDRESS.WE HAVE GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW WEEDUCATE POPULATION FOR A MOREWE HAVE GOT TO FIGURE OUT, HOWDO WE KNIT TOGETHER A SOCIETYTHAT IS GOING TO BE MORE DIVERSEIN THE NEXT 20 YEARS THAN IT WASIN THE LAST 100.WE HAVE GOT SOME REAL PROBLEMS.TAKING MONEY OUT OF THE FEDERALTREASURY IS NOT GOING TO HELPSOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS.

Dem, GOP Strategists: Bipartisanship Is Broken

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Updated: 4:50 PM EDT Oct 20, 2017

It’s late October and the Trump administration is still searching for a major legislative win. Agenda items in a jam – infrastructure, immigration and healthcare – all due to party division. President Trump has said he’s willing to pull together congressional Republicans and Democrats to make progress on his top priority – tax reform. Soledad O’Brien sits down for a discussion on the bipartisan breakdown with Republican strategist Ford O’Connell and Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons.